Murray eases past Roger-Vasselin

Andy Murray has advanced to the second round of the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, beating Frenchman Eduoard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-3.

Murray last played in Rotterdam in 2011 and beat Rafael Nadal to win the title in 2009. He was not originally scheduled to play this week but accepted a late wild card into the tournament, a positive sign for his continued return to form following last September's back surgery.

It was an efficient performance from the Wimbledon champion, who looked sharp from the beginning of the match. He moved and returned very well, successfully attacking his opponent's second serve and nullifying the net game of the world number 35 over time with impressive passing shots.

Three chances for Murray to break came in the first game, but Roger-Vasselin showed good netplay to hold serve. But Murray kept up the pressure on the 30-year-old Frenchman's serve in the third game, maintaining excellent depth on his return of serve to carve out a 0-40 advantage. The first two break points were saved, but not the third. The world number 6 was at his defensive best here, scrambling across the baseline and breaking with a running forehand passing shot to take a 2-1 lead.

Murray faced few problems on serve in the first set, conceding only one point on his first serve while continuing to pressure Roger-Vasselin's second serve. With the Frenchman serving at 3-5, the world number 6 gained a 15-40 advantage after once again punishing his opponent's second serve. Although he was unable to convert on these opportunities, he converted his next set point with a trademark backhand down-the-line winner.

The second set started in positive fashion, with the Scot holding and then breaking to take a 2-0 lead. Compared to the first set, Murray faced more difficulty in his service games but managed to play his way out of trouble. Serving at 3-2, he recovered well from 15-40 down to hold, helped by good serving, and again saved two further break points at 4-2, winning the game with a dropshot winner from the baseline. He served out the match at 5-3, converting on his first match point with an angled off-forehand which his opponent returned long.

Murray will face Austrian qualifier Dominic Thiem, ranked 113, in the second round.

However, particularly in the second set, Andy started showing signs of frustration as he missed some easy shots. This has a positive aspect as it shows he cares.

It also showed, once again, that he no longer dwells on his mistakes but has a little chat with himself or a good rant (he said something like 'this kills me' at least three times at one point in the second set) and then gets on with the match.

February 13, 2014, 12:53 AMBy Aileen

Comment from Andy on the ATP website -

"I moved well. For me that’s a big part of my game. Sometimes at the beginning of weeks it can be tough to get used to a new surface in terms of your movement. But from the beginning of the match, I made it tough for him to hit any winners and kept making him play one extra ball. Hopefully as the week goes on I’ll start to hit the ball better with each match."

February 13, 2014, 12:56 AMBy Aileen

Cheers Katie

February 13, 2014, 05:28 AMBy blueberryhill

NID

February 13, 2014, 05:31 AMBy ProdigyEng

I particularily like the way you tactfully skirt round Andy's "service difficulties" in the second set There were far too many second serves in this set and a more capable player would have taken advantage and the match would have gone to 3 sets

February 13, 2014, 10:29 AMBy benniebone

A good report as ever. Thought Andy played and moved well, augers well for the rest of the year. It was good to see Kim here with him as she is now travelling far less, and won't be with him in the US swing.

A good report as ever. Thought Andy played and moved well, augers well for the rest of the year. It was good to see Kim here with him as she is now travelling far less, and won't be with him in the US swing.

Where does that info come from? Anyone know why she is travelling less with him?

Don't think there's any change there, is there? She never followed him to all the tourneys - just the biggies or when it suited her own schedule i think. Sounds like a DM story in the making.

That's what I thought Fiverings, although I did read somewhere fairly reliable (not the DM!) that she said she wanted more time to focus on her own projects, presumably one of them being her paintings of dogs for which she has her own website Brushes and Paws - http://kimsears.com/wp/However any newspaper is capable of putting words into people's mouths!

I have a lot of respect for Kim. Despite her obvious love and support for Andy, she's very much her own person who wants to get on with her own life and make use of her considerable artistic talent rather than become a tennis WAG, something I don't think Andy would want her to be, and I'm sure they'll have discussed it all between them anyway.

February 13, 2014, 04:35 PMBy Aileen

As I don't read the DM it didn't come from there but it was said somewhere that she wanted more time etc as Aileen has said. I was just commenting on the fact it was nice to see her at Rotterdam as she now tends only to be at the slams.

As I don't read the DM it didn't come from there but it was said somewhere that she wanted more time etc as Aileen has said. I was just commenting on the fact it was nice to see her at Rotterdam as she now tends only to be at the slams.

My apologies Michelle if you thought I was directing any comments at you. In fact I'd have been a bit surprised if Kim hadn't gone with Andy to Rotterdam, given it's such a short hop from London.